Sound-receiving device.



S. M. DAVISON.

SOUND RECEIVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1909. RENEWED MAY 25, 1910.

. 1,002,561 Patented Sept. 5; 1911.

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S. M. DAVISON.

v SOUND RECEIVING DEVICE. 7 APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1909. nmznwnn an 25, 1910.

0 2 5 Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

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SOUND-RECEIVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Application filed April 22, 1909, Serial No. 491,337. Renewed May 25, 1910. Serial no. seated To allwkom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY M. DAVISON, a'citizenof theUnited States of America, and a resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex, and State of -Massachusetts,

have invented certain vnew and useful Improvements in Sound-Receiving Devices, of

which the following'is a specification. f

This invention relates to sound transmitters and receivers especially adapted to receive sound vibrations communicated thereto by a suitable medium interposed between the sound signaling apparatus and the receiver, this medium preferably being water.

' vibrations except those entering through the ,It has for one of its objects the production of a device of this nature which is adapted to be moved about a vertical axis and is provided with a flaring mouth through the open flaring end of the receiver.

The invention further consists in surrounding the exterior walls of said receiverwith a casing of material adapted to deaden the sound vibrations and exclude all such open mouth of the receiver.

v .The invention further consists in providing in the skin of thevessel an open cham her in which the receiver is adapted to be contained when the ship is in motion and from which it is adapted to be lowered below the keel of the vessel so that it may be used for the purpose of ascertaining the direction of any desired audible signal.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

- ()f the-drawings: Figure "1 represents a section through a portion of the hull of a vessel and showing partly in elevation and partly in section a sound-receiving device embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged horizontal section of the same, the cutting plane being on line 22 on Fig.- 1. Fig. 3 represents, an elevation of the openend of the receiver. Figs. 4c and 5 represent details showing the method of securing to the shells of said receiver the member for closing the outer end of the chamber between these two shells. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged vertical section of the upper end of the receiver. Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section of the same, the cutting plane being on line 7-7 on Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 represents a horizontal section of the same, the cutting plane being on line 8-8 on Fig. 1 and showing in diagram the various signals adapted to indicate the angle of the sound signaling device fi'om the longitudinal axis of the vessel in which the receiving device is mounted.

Similar characters designate like arts throughout the several figures of the awmgs.

In the drawings, 10 represents a portion of the hull of a vessel in which is constructed in any suitable manner a walled chamber 11 communicating with the water in which the vessel 10 floats. The inner wall 12 of said chamber 11 is provided with a stufling box 13 through which extends a tubular member 14, the lower end of which is at right angles to the axis of said tubular member 14, as indicated at 15 in Fig. 1, this portion being flaring with its outer end of greater area than its inner end.

Within the tubular member 1d and in axial line therewith is another tubular member 16 positioned within the tubular member 14 by a plurality of perforated collars 17 preferably of felt or some similar nonconductor of sound. This tubular member 16 is also provided with a flaring lower end 18 centrally located within the casing 15. Between the outer ends of the flaring members 15 and 18 is secured a perforated plate 19 of rubber or some similar non-conductor of sound, this plate 19 being secured I at 1ts inner edge to'the outer end of the flaring member 18 by means of a plurality of screws the outer edge of'said plate passes over the flange 22 of the flaring member 15 and is secured theretoby means of a plurality of screws 23 pass1ng through a clampingmember 24..

I The upper ends-of the members 14 and 16 have clamped thereto by meansfof the annular'threaded members 25 and 26 an annular plate 27 of rubber or some similar non-conductorofsound, this annular plate 27 being interposed between the two mem bers andpreventingthem from contacting with each other. fThe two tubular members 14 and 16with their flaring ends 15 and 18 are thus separated throughout their length by means of the separators 17 and the rubber ringsor'plates 19 and 27 thus'leaving a chamber surrounding the innershell 16 and 18 from which the air-may bedrawn through an exhaust valve 28 to produce a vacuum therein. It is obvious that-when a vacuum has been created within this chamber surrounding the shell 1618 no 'sound such as the usual ship noises or other sound vibrations which may strike the outer shell 14 and 15 through the water in which the vessel 10 floats can pass through this-vacuum chamber to theinner shell 16 18. It is obvious therefore that by means of this vacuum all noises are excluded from the interior of the shell 16 except those which pass into the same through the open end 29 thereof. In order to further deaden any sound vibrations which might pass through the water in which the vessel floats, the outer flaring end 15 is inclosed within a coating 30 Ofrubber or some other non-conductor of sound. The tubular member 14 is provided above-the stufllng box 13 with a plurality of annular teeth 31 in ieshing with the teeth of a gear 32 upon a shaft 33 to which is also secured two ratchet wheels 34 and 35, the teeth of which are disposed inopposite directions and are adapted to be engaged respectively by means of the spring-pressed pawls 36 and 37 pivotally. mounted upon a handle 38. It is obvious that by manipulating the handle 38 the gear 32 may be turned in-either direction to raise or lower the tube 14 through the medium of the annular teeth 31. Normally when the ship is in mot-ion the flaring end 15-18 of the receiver is located within the chamber 11 so that it will not retard the motion of the vessel or be in position to be injured by any obstruction which might. be met. As soon, however, as it is desired to use the receiver in order to ascertain the direction of any audible signal at a distant point the handle 38 would be operated to lower the flaring end 1518 of the receiver into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings' I The tubular member 14 is provided with 1,oc2,5e7

the annular groove within'the hub of said worm gear 40', as indicated plainly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A worm 43 engages withsaid worm gear 40"and is adapted to rotate the. receiver about its vertical axis whenever the worm 43. is turned bygmeans of the" crank 44 secured to its shaft. It is obvious,

therefore, that means is thus provided \vh ereby the flaring end-15"18 of the receiver may be turned. in, any direction about the axis of the'tubular members 14 and 16 and ineans are also provided whereby the receiver may be raised and -,lowcred withoutdisturbing the devicesifor rotating said re-fceiver. When thereceiv'er. is raised into the, chamber 11 the flanges 45 secured to the tubularmember 1'4 "serve as a means for llmitmg the upward movement'of sald receiver by contacting with t M11112 of the chamber 11 r The framework 42' i s provided with a dial 46 which dial is provided witha plurality of electric contacts 47 with any one-of which the pointer finger 48 secured to the revolu-' ble worm gear 40 is adapted to engage to make an electr1c circuit and cause a visual signal to b6"operated, as, for instance, a lamp 49. The current for this light is sup;-

plied from any suitable source of supply, as, for instance, the battery 50. The 'dial 46 is ice positioned upon the vessel so that the Zero point and the 180 point thereon correspond with the longitudinal axis of the vessel and the contact members 47' arejd'isposed about the dial .at-s'tated intervals representing so many ,degrees port or starboard and in the ilot house or at any other convenient point suitable .boards '51 and 52 are located each being provided with a plurality of lamps 49, one of these boards 51 being adapted for use in indicating sounds coming from the port side and the other for the purpose of indicating sound coming from the starboard side. It is obvious from an inspection of the .diagramindicated in Fig. 8 that whenever the pointer 48 contacts with any one of the Y I contacts 47 that the lamp 49 connected in circuit'therewit-h will be lighted to indicate to the pilot or the sailing master the exact direction relative to the axis of the vessel of the signal the sounds of which are being received through the receiving device.

The upper'end of the tubular member 16 is closed by means of a metal diaphragm 53 secured in position by means of the threaded annulus 53* engaging with female threads upon -the end of said tubular mem-' ber 16. To this diaphragm 53 is secured in any suitable manner a microphone 54 from which 55 and 56-extend to a telephone 57 forming a circuit in which is located a suitable source of electric energy such as the battery 58. It is obvious therefore that any sound vibrations which are received into the open end 29 of the shell 1618 are transmitted through this shell to the diaphragm 53 and thence to the microphone 54 where they are intensified and act in the usual manner through the electric circuit 5556 upon the telephone receiver 57 to reproduce the sound at a distant point, such, for instance, as the pilot house. By the use of a telephone or speaking tube the sailing master or pilot may easily regulate the movement of the receiver about its vertical am's and when the open end 29 has been finally located in a position where the sounds received by the telephone 57 are the loudest, the lamp 49 lighted at this time willalindicate the exact direction of said In order to shut out external ship noises from the microphone 54 a cap 59 is secured tothe upper end of the member 16 and in like manner an outer ca 60 is secured to the upper end of the tub ar member 14, this cap 60 being provided with an exhaust valve 61 by means of which the air may be withdrawn from the chamber '62 between said caps so that a vacuum will be created within lized for otherpurposes and when inverted tor the purpose of receiving communications ln the air.

One of the great advantages oi the present device is that it does away with the necessity cated definitely relative .to the 1011 tudinal axis of said vessel.

Obviously t is is a great advantage.

One advantage of the construction shown.

is that the microphone is so located that access can be obtained thereto bythe re:

moval'of the caps 59 and 60without inter-' fering with the tubular membeffi 14 16 and the vacuum chamber betweeni eln In most of the submarine ieceivmg apparatus now in use-dependence isplaoed1en tirely upon the balance of two microphones on elther side of the ship, this obviously being a great objection as it is almost im-- possible to make two microphones exactly balance and remain so for any time as a ground is liable to occur in either one of the pair.

One advantage of the construction shown and described in the present application is that by the location of. the microphone at the upper end of the sound receiver with the diaphragm out of contact with the water, there is less liability of the microphone becoming inoperative owing to its becoming aiiected by dampness.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: r

1. An apparatus adapted-to ascertain the direction from which sound comes, consisting of two separated shells; a pure gum rubher separator between said shells; and means whereby the air may be' withdrawn from the chamber formed between said shells.

2. A subaqueous audible signal receivin apparatus, consisting of two shells locate one within the other, a vacuum chamber between said shells and sound insulating, vacuum retaining material separating and connecting said shells.

3. A subaqueous audible signal receiving apparatus, consisting of two metal shells located one within the other, avacuum chamber between said shells, and sound insulating, vacuum retaining material separating and connecting said shells.

4.18. subaqueousaudible signal'receiving apparatus, consisting of two shells located one within the other, an electric transmitter. disposed within the inner shell, a vacuumchamber between said shells and sound mrating and connecting said shells.

' 5. Asubaqueous audible al receiving apparatus,consisting of two metal shells located one within theother, an electric transmitter disposed withinthe inner shell, a vacuum chamber between said shells, and

sound insulating, vacuum retaining material separating and connecting said shells. V

6. A subaqueous audible signal recelving. apparatus, consisting of two shells locatedone within theother, a vacuum. chamber between said shells, and rubber separating and connectin 'saidrshells. I

7. A su aqueous audible signal receiving apparatus; consisting of two metal shells located onecwithin the other, a vacuum chamber between said shells, and, rubber separatingamd connecting said shells.

' 8. Agsubaqueous audible signal receivin apparatus, consisting of two shells locate one within the other, an electric transmitter disposed within the inner shell, a vacuum chamber between said shells, 'and rubber separating and connecting said shells.

sulating, vacuum retaining material sepa- El:v 1,902,567

9. A subaqueous audible ,s igndl' receiving Signed by me at 4 Post Office Sq., Bbston, appzaratugconsisting of two metal shells-10- Mass., this 17th day 0f April'," 1909. 1 cate one within the other an electric transinit-ter disposed within the inner shell, a S Y AYB vaeuum chamber between said'shells and" Witnesses:

rubber separatmg and connectmg sald WALTER L0MBA RI shells. NATHAN LOMBARD. v 

